Luguentz Dort – Heartland Sports

Oklahoma City Thunder | Western Conference Semifinals Game 2: Dallas Mavericks

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks kicked off the Western Conference Semifinals on Tuesday for Game 1, and after 12 minutes of play, the teams were deadlocked at 23 points apiece. The game started to turn in the Thunder’s favor in the second quarter as they pushed a lead to double digits. The Mavericks made a run to cut it to one midway through the third period, but OKC caught fire from downtown—knocking down 11-of-19 threes in the second half—to push the lead to as much as 25 before eventually pulling out the 117-95 victory.

Oklahoma City Thunder | Round 1, Game 4 Preview: New Orleans Pelicans

Zachary LowApril 29, 2024 No Comments Chet Holmgren CJ McCollum Jalen Williams Luguentz Dort Oklahoma City Thunder Oklahoma Sooners Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Zion Williamson

The Oklahoma City Thunder went into Game 3 against the Pelicans in New Orleans with one thing in mind: win. After a rocky start, they locked in on defense, shots started to fall, and they opened up a lead similar to the one in Game 2. In the end, New Orleans had no response, and OKC was able to pull out a 106-85 victory to take a 3-0 lead in the series. Now the Thunder have a golden opportunity to finish off the Pelicans for the round 1 sweep.

Thunder Against the Spread | OKC Favored, Look to Finish Out Pels in NOLA

Zachary LowApril 29, 2024 1 Comment Chet Holmgren CJ McCollum Jalen Williams Luguentz Dort New Orleans Pelicans Oklahoma City Thunder Oklahoma Sooners Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Zion Williamson

Ever since the closeness of Game 1, the Thunder have really found their stride and managed to exploit the Pelicans in a lot of ways. The most obvious difference is 3-point shooting: OKC has hit shots, while New Orleans has not. If I had to guess, I would say that the Thunder will shoot slightly worse than the last couple of games while the Pelicans will see an uptick. Still, OKC has managed to force the Pelicans into a lot of tough shots and turnovers, and that’s not something that will just flip out of nowhere. The Thunder have a good shot at closing out the series, and I think they take advantage of that and head home with the sweep.

Oklahoma City Thunder | Round 1, Game 3: New Orleans Pelicans

Zachary LowApril 27, 2024 No Comments Brandon Ingram Chet Holmgren CJ McCollum Jalen Williams Jonas Valanciunas Luguentz Dort New Orleans Pelicans Oklahoma City Thunder Oklahoma Sooners Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Saturday afternoon sets the stage for Game 3 as the Pelicans enter as a slight underdog. Still missing Zion Williamson, New Orleans needs something special as they try to work towards evening up the series, but OKC seemed much more focused in Game 2, so that could be a difficult undertaking. The Thunder don’t want to give the Pelicans even an inkling of hope, so they need to start this one where they left off on Wednesday and take care of business early.

Thunder Against the Spread | OKC Just a Slight Favorite in NOLA

Zachary LowApril 27, 2024 1 Comment Brandon Ingram Chet Holmgren CJ McCollum Jalen Williams Jonas Valanciunas Luguentz Dort New Orleans Pelicans Oklahoma City Thunder Oklahoma Sooners Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Zion Williamson

Home court advantage goes a long way in the playoffs, but I’m not sure New Orleans has enough of it to push the Pelicans over the edge. Game 2 looked a lot closer to what people expected in this series as opposed to Game 1, but that’s not to say the Pelicans should be overlooked. The Thunder need to take quality shots like they did on Wednesday, and as long as they stay out of foul trouble and stay locked in on defense, I have a hard time giving New Orleans a win.

Oklahoma City Thunder | Round 1, Game 2: New Orleans Pelicans

Zachary LowApril 24, 2024 No Comments Brandon Ingram Chet Holmgren CJ McCollum Jalen Williams Josh Giddey Luguentz Dort New Orleans Pelicans Oklahoma City Thunder Oklahoma Sooners Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Zion Williamson

Despite being a heavy favorite, the Oklahoma City Thunder just barely gutted out a tough 94-92 win in Game 1 against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday. The energy was electric at the Paycom Center, and perhaps the nervousness of the playoffs affected the youth of the Thunder, but when it all came down to it, the right guys made the right plays, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring the go-ahead basket with 32.1 seconds to go. Now OKC needs to maintain home court advantage with another win in Game 2.

Thunder Against the Spread | Expect a Better Showing from OKC in Game 2

Zachary LowApril 24, 2024 1 Comment Brandon Ingram Chet Holmgren CJ McCollum Jalen Williams Luguentz Dort New Orleans Pelicans Oklahoma City Thunder Oklahoma Sooners Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Zion Williamson

Game 1 felt like the best chance for the Pelicans to steal a game in OKC. The Thunder shot well below their average, and while New Orleans did as well, it was far more surprising from OKC because of how open many of the looks were. Chalk it up to inexperience and initial playoff jitters because I fully expect the Thunder to bounce back with a more complete showing in Game 2. The Pelicans will also likely shoot a better percentage than they did in Game 1, but I’m still feeling good about a bounceback performance from OKC.

Oklahoma City Thunder | Round 1, Game 1: New Orleans Pelicans

Zachary LowApril 21, 2024 No Comments Brandon Ingram Chet Holmgren CJ McCollum Jalen Williams Luguentz Dort New Orleans Pelicans Oklahoma City Thunder Oklahoma Sooners Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Zion Williamson

After a few short years of no postseason action, the Oklahoma City Thunder make their return to the NBA Playoffs in a major way as the top-seeded team in a stacked Western Conference. At 57-25, the Thunder had their best season since 2014, and expectations are as high as they have been in a long time. The Thunder are heavy favorites in the opening round as they prepare to take on the New Orleans Pelicans.

Thunder Against the Spread | OKC a Road Dog Yet Again in Indiana

Zachary LowApril 5, 2024 1 Comment Chet Holmgren Indiana Pacers Jalen Williams Josh Giddey Luguentz Dort Myles Turner Oklahoma City Thunder Oklahoma Sooners Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Tyrese Haliburton

Even with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams likely to miss, I like the Thunder’s odds to at least cover the spread, if not also win the game. Indiana is about as inconsistent as they come, largely because they rely so much on their offense to win games. They have one of the worst defenses in the NBA, but their offense is the highest-scoring across the league. A few stops could be the difference in this one, but what all of that information aside, OKC has not lost 3 consecutive games all season, and I think they keep that streak alive tonight by getting out with a win.

Thunder Against the Spread | OKC a Double-Digit Favorite in Another Meeting with the Rockets

Zachary LowFebruary 27, 2024 1 Comment Chet Holmgren Houston Rockets Jalen Williams Luguentz Dort Oklahoma City Thunder Oklahoma Sooners Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Oklahoma City covers the spread more often at home than on the road, and Houston is the opposite. Despite the Thunder defeating the Rockets handily on Sunday, I don’t think it will be quite as easy two nights later. It’s very difficult to beat even a decent team twice in a short amount of time like that, typically because of adjustments that can be made. I definitely think OKC gets the win in front of the home crowd, but I think it’s a single-digit game, giving Houston the cover.